1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an improvement of a reproducing unit having recording medium readers.
2. Background Art
Some reproducing units are capable of reproducing recorded contents of a plurality of recording mediums (of any kind including a magnetic tape, an MD, a CD, a memory card, and so on). For example, in case of a reproducing unit for reproducing music, a magnetic tape, an MD, a CD, a memory card, and so on are used as recording mediums for music, which are chosen according to their advantages and disadvantages and mounted on the reproducing unit. The foregoing reproducing unit for reproducing a plurality of recording mediums includes a reproducing unit installed with a plurality of readers of same kind such as a plurality of magnetic tape readers.
A radio is also a recording medium reader in a broad sense in consideration of the fact that radio stations often reproduce recording mediums and broadcast them.
FIG. 10 shows external appearance of a reproducing unit capable of reproducing a plurality of recording mediums as mentioned above.
In the drawing, reference numeral 1 is a cabinet of the reproducing unit. Numeral 3 is a magnetic tape reader mounted on a front face of the cabinet 1, and a magnetic tape (a cassette tape) not shown in the drawing is inserted in the magnetic tape reader. Numeral 4 is an MD reader, numeral 5 is a CD reader, numeral 6 is a memory card reader, and numeral 7 is a radio. For convenience of explanation, it is supposed herein that only one recording medium can be inserted in each reader, however, readers in which a plurality of, for example, MDs and CDs can be inserted at the same time have been also put into practical use as a matter of course.
Detailed explanation of the principles and constructions of a magnetic tape, an MD, a CD, a memory card, a radio, and so on and readers for them is omitted because they are already publicly known. These recording mediums are collectively referred to as media in some cases.
Numeral 8 is a control panel where push buttons and so on are arranged, and the control panel is used to operate each reader to play or reproduce music data recorded in each medium. Music is reproduced from a separately arranged speaker not shown or a built-in speaker not shown.
Numeral 9 is a display for indicating information recorded in a recording medium inserted in the reader under the playback operation by manipulating the control panel 8 (the recorded information described herein is information such as number of tunes (or track) of the recorded music, time for reproducing the remaining part). In case of radio 7, information necessary for reproduction of tune such as a frequency, a channel number or a set volume is indicated.
FIG. 11 shows a system structure of the reproducing unit in FIG. 10. In the drawing, numeral 21 is a central processing unit for controlling each of the connected components and processing signals. Numeral 22 is a D/A converter for converting digital data outputted by each reader into analog signals, and amplifying and outputting the analog signals.
Next, operation of the reproducing unit in FIGS. 10 and 11 is described below taking two examples, a first example and a second example.
Supposing that the radio 7 is being used and any medium is not inserted in other readers, the display 9 indicates information of the radio 7. Under this condition, when inserting, for example, a CD in the CD reader 5, reproduction of the radio is stopped and information of the radio indicated on the display 9 disappears, the CD reader 5 is automatically read, and its information (for example, number of tune or track) is indicated on the display. A user either pushes a play button for playback of the tunes in order from the first tune or (if the titles and order of the recorded tunes are already known,) looks the indicated information and designates the number of tune that the user wants to listen to.
For better understanding, FIG. 12(a) shows an example of the display 9 indicating the radio information, and FIG. 12(b) shows an example of indication of the display 9 when a CD is being reproduced.
In the drawings, numeral 10 is an indication of received wave type showing whether the received broadcast is AM or FM, numeral 11 is a frequency indication showing the received frequency, numeral 12 is a channel number indication, numeral 13 is a set volume indication, and numeral 14 is a mark indicating whether the received broadcast wave is stereo or monaural. Functions that can be chosen but not chosen now are indicated dotted lines.
Numeral 15 is a number that represent the tunes(or track) of music data recorded in the inserted CD and is indicated in the form of channel number, and in which numbers 1 to 7 indicate that seven tunes are recorded, and the dotted lines surrounding the numbers 1 and 2 indicate that the first and the second tunes have been played up to now. Numeral 16 is a time elapsed since playback of the second tune started. It is possible to switch this elapsed time to a time for the remaining part of the second tune. Numeral 17 is a reproduction mode in which user can choose and set reproduction in order of tune numbers, repeated reproduction of the same tune, repeated reproduction of only several designated tunes, or the like (this is called program playback in some cases).
Let us suppose a condition in which a medium has been reproduced, and now a built-in radio is used by switching to the radio without pulling out the medium. At this moment, the radio 7 is operated, and the medium (for example, a CD) is already inserted in other reader. The display 9 indicates information of the radio 7 only. Under such a condition, if the user wants to listen to the CD and pushes the play button of CD, the radio stops the reproduction, the CD reader 5 reads information of the CD (for example, number of tunes is read, and it takes normally takes one to several seconds for such reading), and the read content is indicated on the display 9. The user either pushes the play button for reproduction of the tunes in order from the first tune or watches the indicated information and designates number of the tune that the user wants to listen to if the user already knows titles and order of the recorded tunes.
As described above, the display 9 indicates at all times information of the medium being reproduced now, which makes it possible for the user to operate the medium that the user is listening to now while watching the content indicated on the display. However, consequently, in order to reproduce any other medium, the user has to wait for some seconds before the reader reads out the information of the inserted medium and indicates the information on the display 9.
In the conventional reproducing unit of recording medium of above construction, among the plurality of recording medium readers installed in the reproducing unit, information only about the recording medium being operated now is indicated on the display.
As a result, in order to play any recording medium other than the recording medium being indicated now, even if those recording mediums are inserted in the readers beforehand, the content of each recording medium is read only after performing the reproducing operation of each recording medium. In this manner, the user has to wait for some seconds from the reproducing operation until the indication of information thereof in order to perform the following operation, and this brings about a problem that it is not possible to quickly perform the operation.
The present invention was made to solve the above-discussed problem and has an object of obtaining a reproducing unit of recording medium capable of switching reproduction quickly among a plurality of recording mediums.
A reproducing unit according to the invention comprises:
reading means for reading information of a recording medium in which visual information or audio information, technical information about reproduction of the mentioned visual information or audio information, and character information about the mentioned visual information or audio information are recorded;
storing means for storing the mentioned technical information read out from the mentioned recording medium by the mentioned reading means when reproduction of the mentioned recording medium is not commanded;
displaying means for displaying the mentioned character information read out from the mentioned recording medium by the mentioned reading means when reproduction of the mentioned recording medium is not commanded;
controlling means for controlling operation of the mentioned reading means to read out visual information or audio information corresponding to the mentioned technical information from the mentioned recording medium on the basis of the technical information stored in the storing means when reproduction of the recording medium is commanded, and
reproducing means for reproducing the visual information or audio information read out from the mentioned reading means through operation control by the mentioned controlling means for controlling operation.
Another reproducing unit according to the invention comprises:
a plurality of recording medium readers capable of reading a recording medium in which music data, technical information about reproduction of the mentioned music data, and character information about the mentioned music data are recorded;
a reproducing circuit having a memory for storing the mentioned technical information read by the mentioned recording medium readers from the mentioned recording mediums under the condition of not being reproduced, a central processing unit for reading out the mentioned music data on the basis of the mentioned technical information stored in the mentioned memory when the mentioned recording medium receives a reproduction command signal, and a D/A conversion circuit for outputting the mentioned read-out music data as an audio signal, and
a display for indicating the mentioned character information read by the mentioned recording medium readers from the mentioned recording mediums under the condition of not being reproduced.
It is preferable that the memory of the reproducing circuit stores the mentioned technical information of all the recording mediums that can be read out when electric power is supplied to the reproducing unit having the mentioned plurality of recording medium readers.
It is also preferable that the mentioned display indicates the mentioned character information of all the recording mediums that can be read out when electric power is supplied to the reproducing unit having the mentioned plurality of recording medium readers.
It is also preferable that the mentioned display indicates a recording medium name and a hierarchical structure of recording for each recording medium.
It is also preferable that the reproducing unit is a music-reproducing unit mounted on a vehicle.
As described above, the recording medium reproducing unit according to the invention stores the technical information about reproduction of all the inserted recording mediums and displays the character information about recorded data of all the inserted recording mediums. As a result, it is possible to perform advantages such that switching of reproduction between recording mediums is quickly performed and reproduction is immediately started when reproducing operation is performed.
The recording medium reproducing unit stores the technical information about reproduction of all the inserted recording mediums and displays the character information about recorded data of all the inserted recording mediums. As a result, it is possible to obtain advantages that switching of playback between the plurality of recording mediums is quickly performed and audio output is immediately started when reproducing operation is performed.
The technical information of all the inserted recording mediums is stored when electric power is supplied. As a result, reproduction is immediately started at the time of performing reproducing operation subsequently.
The character information of all the inserted recording mediums is displayed when electric power is supplied. As a result, it is possible for the user to directly indicate the data that the user wants to reproduce.
The display indicates the recorded content in hierarchical structure. As a result, it is possible for the user to directly indicate the data file that the user wants to reproduce.
The playback starts immediately after performing the reproducing operation, and the operation takes only a short time. As a result, the reproducing unit is suitable to be mounted on and used in vehicle.